The White Van That Wouldn't Leave Them Alone
by AMillionYearsAgo
Summary: I basically rewrote season eight :-D PLEASE R&R! CHAPTER TEN UP!
1. Deep Breath

Okay I realized something... my stories reviews have MAJORLY dropped... so I think I shall start a new one BUT still keep writing the others for the people that were actually reviewing :-D that way everyone wins anyways basically it's season eight... only rewritten :-D PLEASE REVIEW!

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Scully lay paralyzed, unable to reach out, to touch his face and pull him close to her. The apparition spoke, mouthing the words she could not hear. His eyes stared blankly past her and she was reminded of a similar image she once had of her late father. She strained to focus in the darkness of her bedroom as the image started to fade. The hairs rose on the back of her neck as she pulled herself up from the bed in a desperate attempt to stop him from leaving. The feeling was coming back to her body, her limbs responding as she reached out her hand, but there was nothing.  
  
"Mulder," She whispered his name into the darkness.  
  
The sound of the phone ringing jarred Scully back into reality. Disoriented and suddenly cold, she found herself kneeling at the bottom of her bed, unable to remember how or why she was there. Had she been dreaming? The phone, where was the phone? What time was it? She fumbled over the tangled sheets and found the night stand, knocking the alarm clock to the floor, the red display flickered as it landed, 03:10am.  
  
"Hello."  
  
"Agent Scully, It's Skinner...Mulder's been found."  
  
"What? Wh...um...where?"  
  
"He turned up at Bellefleur Memorial Hospital as a John Doe. The doctors have been unable to tell me his condition other than that he is in a coma and that they have him stabilized on life support. I suggest you get yourself on the first flight to Oregon in the morning."  
  
"Uh, yes Sir, I'll, um, I'll meet you there."  
  
Replacing the receiver, Scully turned to look again at the foot of her bed. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and tried in vain to slow the heart that pounded beneath her chest.  
  
Scully fought hard to repress the urge to just run out the apartment there and then, barefoot and clad only in her pajamas. Realizing that running all the way to Oregon was not the way to go, she attempted to regain some composure and get herself organized properly. Pulling her overnight bag from the top of the wardrobe she grabbed haphazardly for clothing and toiletries, turned on the shower and stubbed her toe as she ran back through to the bedroom.  
  
"Damn it!"  
  
She winced at the pain but somehow welcomed the clarity it brought. She had been waiting for that phone call for too many months. She had dreamed about it on those rare nights when she slept deeply enough and now the pain in her toe was there to let her know it was not a dream, not this time.

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like I said PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!


	2. This Child Will Know It's Father

Scully was close to breaking point when the plane finally touched down in Portland, Oregon. Every step of the journey had been problematic, with each little delay compounding the last. She felt like screaming at the world. Didn't they know? Didn't they understand that each administrative cock-up was keeping her from seeing Mulder? Once into her hire car she drove the relatively short distance to Bellefleur with the gas pedal flat to the floor and her gaze fixed on the road ahead. At one point she wondered if she had blinked at all in the last half hour.  
  
On her arrival at the hospital, she felt every last modicum of control leave her as she made a beeline for the first person in a uniform she came across.  
  
"Excuse me, there was an FBI agent taken in here this morning, can you..."  
  
Scully was interrupted by the male raising his hands.  
  
"I'm sorry ma'am, you'll have to ask at reception, I'm just the cleaner,"  
  
The bemused male pointed at the nearby desk.  
  
"It's okay, thank you."  
  
The nurse at the reception seemed prepared for her arrival and was already standing when Scully reached the desk.  
  
"Agent Scully?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Replied Scully, managing to muster a brief smile.  
  
"Mr. Skinner is waiting for you, if you'd like to come this way."  
  
The nurse ushered her through a set of double doors into a long corridor. At the far of which Scully could see Skinner speaking to a male doctor. Even from this distance, she could see the concern in his facial expression.  
  
"Were you here when he was admitted?"  
  
Scully asked the nurse who was now several steps ahead of her.  
  
"No, I'm sorry, that would have been my night shift colleagues. It was very busy at the time and there was a lot of confusion surrounding your partners arrival, I really don't know much about it."  
  
Skinner acknowledged Scully's approach with a somber nod in her direction.  
  
"Agent Scully, this is Doctor McQuade, he's been dealing with Mulder's case."  
  
Scully reached out to shake his hand.  
  
"How is he?"  
  
Her shaky voice betrayed her outer calm but she remained stoic.  
  
"It's hard to say. We've run all the tests we can think of but there's nothing obvious to indicate why he's in this coma. Also,"  
  
He paused trying to find his words.  
  
"There's an unusual amount of activity in the frontal and temporal lobes of his brain that we've been unable to explain."  
  
Scully nodded, trying to take in what the man was saying while trying To suppress her need to just push past them into the room behind.  
  
"I'd like to take a look at those results if you don't mind, I am a doctor"  
  
She paused.  
  
"Can I see him now?"  
  
"Of course, this way."  
  
The doctor smiled reassuringly as he led her into the room. Scully braced herself before following the doctor. The distance from the door to the side of Mulder's bed seemed like miles and when she reached his side her senses began to shut down. She couldn't see the tubes and lines running from his nose, his mouth, his arms. Couldn't hear the sound of the ventilator pushing the air into his lungs or the rhythmic tones from the monitors counting the beats of his heart. She was unaware of the warm hand placed gently on her back by Skinner who was now at her side. He spoke softly, but the words were lost to her. The world was reduced in that moment to encompass only Scully and the man that lay before her. She reached out to touch his hand and collapsed to her knees as fatigue and overwhelming emotion finally overcame her. She sobbed unashamedly now, releasing all that was within. The exhaustion, fear, hope, and anxiety that had been pent up for far too long flowed out through her tears as she rested her cheek against his still hand. As she collapsed to the floor, her free arm rested protectively over her swollen belly. She resolved there and then that this child was going to know its father.  
  
0981743509184750984375  
  
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	3. Never Let Go

At some point, Scully realized, Skinner must have asked the doctor to leave them alone, for the next time she looked up he was gone. Skinner was squatting down next to Scully gently rubbing her back.  
  
"Scully, do you want me to leave?" he asked.  
  
Scully sniffed and shook her head in response.  
  
"No, please stay."  
  
"Let me help you."  
  
Skinner said as he pulled a chair over behind her. She acquiesced to his gentle ministrations and without letting go of Mulder's hand eased herself into the chair.  
  
"I'm sorry," She whispered so only they could hear.  
  
"For what?" Skinner frowned.  
  
"Losing it like that, I couldn't help it."  
  
She explained as she wiped her tear stained face with a tissue.  
  
"Don't be sorry, it's understandable."  
  
Skinner couldn't altogether hide the emotion in his voice and it made Scully look up and actually see him for the first time that day. He looked tired, his eyes blood shot and puffy. She couldn't help the smile that came across her face as she realized that he had been crying too. It had surprised the hell out of her that day he came to her in the hospital to confess that Mulder had been lost. He was the epitome of maleness, the type you'd have a hard time believing had tear ducts. Yet, here he was again, with raw emotions laid bare for all to see. Skinner cleared his throat.  
  
"The doctors here have no idea what they're dealing with, no idea where to begin or how to treat him," he paused. "We may have to employ some unorthodox methods to get him through this."  
  
"Whatever it takes."  
  
She replied softly.  
  
"You look exhausted Scully, get some rest. You're no use to Mulder in this condition."  
  
Skinner laid his hand on Scully's shoulder, smiled and walked slowly out of the room. Now alone, the cacophony of sounds in the room finally invaded Scully's consciousness. Her senses reawakened and with them came an overwhelming sense of hopelessness that settled in the pit of her stomach. She took in all that was before her. His eyes were taped shut, his chest rising and falling with mechanical precision. The sounds were somehow soothing in their regularity and before long she found herself being lulled to sleep, her lids becoming heavy and her breathing matching that of her partner's. She didn't resist, and let herself rest awkwardly against the edge of the bed. His hand rested in hers and she held it to her cheek, part of her never wanting to let go of it for as long as she lived.  
  
0987351-984357134-59813475143-9581  
  
he he the next chapter to RIGHT up and heh... sorry if my betta wants to kill me right now she sent this to me like a few days ago lol but I kept forgetting to post it. Anyways the next chapter should be up like today lol 


	4. Lets Just Hope They're Wrong

He was back again, standing before her, smiling wistfully. This time she could hear his words.  
  
"Scully...I'm here Scully...don't give up on me...I'm right here with you...I'm not going to leave you again... Can you hear me Scully?"  
  
Scully snapped awake with a sharp intake of air and a searing pain in her back.  
  
"Jesus!"  
  
She exclaimed. Her body protested the sudden return to consciousness and it took a few moments for her to realize where she was. The room came back into focus and her eyes rested on the face of Mulder, unmoving and unchanged. She frowned and reached up to stroke his face.  
  
"Mulder, I'm here, I can feel you with me, but you have to fight. D'ya hear me Mulder? Fight!"  
  
Just then, the door opened and in walked three familiar figures. Langly, Frohike and Byers shuffled towards the bed with their heads bowed. They looked uncomfortable, like clowns at a funeral. Their arrival lifted Scully's spirits momentarily for she knew that when anything unorthodox and underhand needed doing, these guys were ideally suited to the job. Frohike picked up the metal chart suspended from the end of the bed frame.  
  
"They haven't go a clue, have they?"  
  
He said flipping through the pages.  
  
"There's no training in Medical School that prepares them for alien abductees. They have nothing to go on here."  
  
Scully explained, surprised at her own rational tone considering her mental outbreak.  
  
"Skinner figured we could maybe help out." Explained Langly. "Called us this morning."  
  
"Whatever it takes." Byers added in. "We're here for you, and for Mulder."  
  
Scully smiled and nodded appreciatively at them before returning her gaze to Mulder. Somewhere in the distant reaches of her subconscious, she was sure she heard his voice again. Barely discernible, she picked out an expletive and what sounded like a reference to The Wizard of Oz. She stifled a giggle as she turned to The Lone Gunman.  
  
"Mulder says hi." Their puzzled expressions forced her to explain herself.  
  
"I can hear him, I don't know how but he's here... he's communicating with me. It might have something to do with his altered brain activity..."  
  
Scully sighed in frustration  
  
"I don't know."  
  
Skinner made his entrance then, nodding at the assembled group.  
  
"Glad you could make it, we have a lot of work to do. I just spoke with Doctor McQuade and he admits he's at a loss. They're going to do another MRI scan in about an hour and we can hopefully compare the results with those obtained the last time he exhibited these symptoms."  
  
"It's different this time."  
  
Scully was met with blank stares so she tried to elaborate.  
  
"He's at peace. It's as if his body has just shut down to allow his mind to heal. I don't think he's suffering or in any pain."  
  
"That may be so, but they still have valid concerns regarding his physical condition. They're going along the lines of some kind of brain injury caused by oxygen starvation."  
  
Skinner looked at the floor as he continued.  
  
"They're not ruling out the possibility that even if he comes out of the coma he may remain in a permanent vegetative state."  
  
Scully sighed, "Let's just hope they're wrong."

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more soon I hope I'm sending the next chapter to my beta after this :-D 


	5. I'm Ready

The next few days passed in a blur for Scully. She lost all track of time, the division between night and day became obsolete Sleep was taken when and where it consumed her. Skinner and Frohike poured over the results obtained from a myriad of tests, and Byers and Langly were tasked with researching the effects of drugs such as Phenatoin and Haldoperidol on abnormal brain function. Scully tried to educate Doctor McQuade on the finer points of alien/human hybrids and theories of extra terrestrial progenitors. Not surprisingly, she was met with blank stares and brick walls. Mulder's condition remained stable with activity in his parietal lobe continuing to spike, but usually only when Scully was in the room. She reasoned that this was due to that area of the brain being used primarily for cognitive abilities and perception. She continued to hear his thoughts. She became convinced he was aware of everything going on around him. What troubled her the most was the doctor's insistence that he was not going to recover from this unscathed and that his quality of life would be minimal. Scully heard the words but refused to believe them no matter how many times it was discussed. With each passing day the reality of the situation did start to register and there was talk of next of kin and living wills.  
  
"I can't believe I'm hearing this from you Sir,"  
  
Scully said softly. Skinner had led Scully away from Mulder's bedside to the corridor outside.  
  
"We have to consider all possible outcomes Dana," Skinner replied. "You are the witness to his living will. You know he doesn't want to live like this. I'm just being realistic."  
  
"Aren't we getting a little ahead of ourselves here Sir? We still don't even know the full extent of his injury or how it will effect him in the long term. Surely he deserves..."  
  
"Dana," Skinner interrupted. "He's still not breathing on his own, none of the drugs have had any effect, he may never come out of this coma. How long are you prepared to wait Agent Scully?"  
  
Scully was surprised by the change in his tone and could no longer look him in the eyes as tears appeared in her own.  
  
"As long as it takes Sir, I'm not ready to give up on him just yet."  
  
She said as she turned back to the room, leaving Skinner alone in the hall.  
  
He was dying, slowly, piece by piece, shutting down, and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it. The latest test results showed steadily decreasing levels of activity in his brain more fitting for a man in a deep comatose state. Scully could no longer hear him, she no longer felt his presence in the room. Apparitions of his soul still visited her while she slept but they were weaker and more indistinct with every passing day. She could literally feel him slipping away from her.  
  
"Agent Scully?"  
  
Scully hadn't even noticed Doctor McQuade enter the room and his voice shook her from her reverie.  
  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."  
  
"It's all right, I was miles away." she smiled. "You don't look like you're here to give me any good news."  
  
"I wish I was..."  
  
He sighed before continuing.  
  
"Agent Mulder's condition has deteriorated to the extent that he now falls below the criteria specified on his living will."  
  
"I know." she nodded. "I helped him set the criteria four years ago."  
  
"Then you know what I'm going to say next."  
  
Scully swallowed hard in vain attempt to remove the lump from her throat.  
  
"Yes, I think I do."  
  
"You have power of attorney, so the decision ultimately falls to you."  
  
Scully closed her eyes and rubbed at her temples.  
  
"I need some time."  
  
"Of course,"  
  
He said, as he backed away, almost reverently, out of the room.  
  
"Take as much time as you need."  
  
"No spirit has she now, no force, she neither hears nor sees. Rolled round within Earth's diurnal course with rocks and stones and trees."  
  
This line from a Wordsworth poem had entered Scully's thoughts as she woke that morning from another fitful night of sleep on the chair in Mulder's room. She had studied the poem at school many years before and had never thought of it since. It described the death of a young girl called Lucy and this was the only part she could recall. She did remember the tragedy of it though, the sense of loss and wasted life. How, in the grand scheme of things, all life, in death,returns to the state from whence it came. Gas and matter. Scully's spirit was pervaded by an ever-increasing sense of despair and impending grief. With each passing moment Mulder's life force ebbed away. She leaned over him now and planted a gentle, lingering kiss on his forehead.  
  
"You are my constant..."  
  
She whispered as she stroked his hair. The door to Mulder's room opened slowly and the doctor stood at the threshold. She turned to him and her words came out shaky at first.  
  
"I-I-I'm ready now... t-to decide...I'm ready to decide."  
  
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	6. Over

Scully was proud of herself for finally reaching a decision, but at the same time disappointed at herself for giving up. She took one last longing look at Mulder before looking up at the doctor and waiting for the nod. It felt like an eternity, but it was really only a few seconds. He looked up and gave a slight nod to Scully and her hand began to move towards to machine. She stopped and watched her hand tremble in mid-air, then turned back to Mulder. Sweat was forming on her forehead and she used her other hand to quickly wipe it away. She inched her hand closer but it still shook like crazy. She once again used her other hand to wipe at her face trying to make it look like she was just wiping some more sweat away. However, she knew her real purpose was to wipe away the tears that were obscuring her vision. She blinked her eyes once and then returned her vision to Mulder. Her hand trembled closer to its destination and she sucked in a deep breath. Her other hand found its way to Mulder's face as she cupped his cheek. Her eyes never leaving his wonderful beautiful face, her hand finally reached its destination. She watched as his chest rose and fell for the last time. The machine counted out two more beats of his heart before falling into a steady hum. The Doctor grabbed Mulder's wrist and all was silent. The air was thick and Scully felt as if a year had passed when finally he looked into her eyes with a cloudy look on his face.  
  
Even he had seen the love between these two through the few days Mulder had occupied this bed. He saw the tender looks and he saw how she hadn't even left the hospital since he got here. He looked up into Scully's watery eyes to deliver the news that he was sure she already knew. He tried not to let the emotion show in his voice too much but he couldn't help it.  
  
"H-H-He's g-gone..."  
  
Scully felt as though someone had reached up into her chest and pulled her heart out. Her stomach, meanwhile, hit the floor and she felt as if her lunch would reveal itself. Her legs trembled beneath her and she wasn't so sure she would be able to hold herself up much longer. She felt a reassuring had press against her shoulder, but she brushed it away a little more harshly then intended. She felt hot tears pool in her eyes until they stung and finally she let them go. They flowed down her face as if they would never stop. She didn't even bother to wipe them away because she knew even if she did there would be more. She bent down and Kissed Mulder's already cooling cheek and whispered silently.  
  
"...you are my constant..."  
  
Doctor McQuade pulled the sheet over Mulder's head and that's when Scully knew... it was finally over.  
  
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READ AND REVIEW!!!!! Mwa ha ha aren't I evil... NOW! For the questions.. Is Mulder really dead? Will Mulder come back? Will Scully Kill herself? What about the child? MWA HA HA! For that you must wait!!!!!!!!! 


	7. Billy's Back kinda

"Stop what you're doing!"  
  
The door flew open and in the entrance stood one breathless and sweating Billy Miles. Behind him was an equally breathless nurse.  
  
"I'm so...I'm sorry doctor, I couldn't stop him," the nurse stammered.  
  
"Billy?" Scully gasped.  
  
"Who is this man?" demanded Doctor McQuade.  
  
"A fellow abductee," replied Skinner. "You're too late Billy"  
  
"Maybe not," he retorted. "You have to let me help him."  
  
Billy advanced towards the bed, his eyes fixed on Mulder. There was a momentary confusion amongst the assembled group until Scully stood back allowing Billy access to Mulder's side. He looked at her pleadingly.  
  
"Let me do this, please."  
  
Scully simply nodded. Billy placed his left hand over Mulder's forehead and his right hand hovered over his heart. He closed his eyes, bowed his head and began breathing slowly and deeply.  
  
"What does he think he's doing?" McQuade asked Scully.  
  
"Sshh!" she replied.  
  
"This is ridiculous. Nurse Reid, call security!"  
  
But his order was cut short by Langly as he pointed towards Mulder's rising chest.  
  
"Look!"  
  
Scully walked slowly round the bed, open-mouthed.  
  
"Oh my God..."  
  
She came round to his right side and leaned in close.  
  
"Mulder?"  
  
She whispered, as she noticed the movement beneath his taped eyes.  
  
"Doctor, give me a hand here."  
  
The stunned doctor stood for a moment unable to move. "Doctor!" she repeated, louder this time.  
  
Scully gently peeled the tape from Mulder's eyes and McQuade moved in to detach the hose from the mouth piece of the ventilator, his hands visibly shaking as he did so.  
  
"How is this possible?"  
  
He asked quietly. Billy staggered back from the bed, a little unsteady on his feet. He paused for moment, surveying the scene before him and slipped out of the room unnoticed. He made his way down the corridor and took a sharp left at the end through an emergency exit. As he emerged in the stairwell, he looked around him ensuring he was alone and out of sight. In the time it took him to exhale he was no longer Billy Miles. His face and body shifted effortlessly to that of an altogether different man...  
  
They could only stand and stare at the miracle that lay before them and The perpetrator of this miracle was long gone before Skinner had even noticed his absence.  
  
"Where did he go?"  
  
He asked as he looked around the room. Frohike, Langly, and Byers barely registered his question and Skinner was half way out the door when Frohike added his:  
  
"Who?"  
  
Once in the corridor Skinner headed for the nurses station at the far end. Nurse Bell was behind the desk.  
  
"That man that you tried to stop, did you see him leave?"  
  
"No sir, I'm sorry. Only one person has passed this desk in the last half hour and it certainly wasn't that man," she replied.  
  
"What did that person look like?"  
  
"He was a very large chap, tall and thick set. He had blond hair, slicked back, kinda mean looking face. Never even looked at me as he passed,"  
  
She added.  
  
Skinner simply nodded and walked back the way he came.  
  
"Sir!"  
  
She called after him.  
  
"Sir, what should I tell security?"  
  
Her answer was given with a dismissive wave of his hand.  
  
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	8. Even Educated MD's

Mulder felt as if he was drowning in darkness. He felt smothered and trapped. There was a strange warmth in his chest and a growing awareness of chaotic, fragmented noise all around him. Nothing made any sense in his head. She was here, that much he knew, but there was something different in his knowledge of her now, something more. He became aware of a tugging sensation in his throat and a sudden rush of cold air replaced the warmth in his chest as hislungs began to spasm involuntarily. He heard his name, felt a hand fall gently on his face and opened his eyes as her soft lips brushed against his own. Doctor McQuade stared vacantly and shook his head, unable to believe what he had just witnessed. "What just happened here?" he mumbled to no one in particular. Skinner appeared at his back, his glasses held in his right hand as he rubbed his eyes with his left. "I think that's going to be a little hard to explain, doctor," he said. "Nothing that can be understood in medical or scientific terms at least." McQuade had an incredulous look on his face as he backed out the room. "Indeed," was all he managed to say as he bumped into the doorframe. Skinner gestured to the Lone Gunman and without the need for words they followed him out of the room, leaving Scully alone with Mulder. Mulder's vision was starting to clear now, although his definition was still a little fuzzy. One thing that was clear to him the moment he opened his eyes was the face of Scully looking down at him. She was smiling despite the tears that streamed down her cheeks and clutched his hand to her heart. Mulder got that odd feeling again as he regarded her. That sense that she was different somehow. Try as he might, he couldn't put his finger on it. Then he felt his hand being moved from her chest to her lower body as she stood up from the bed. It didn't register at first what his hand was resting against as it was not a contour he was accustomed to. He looked to her face for some hint of explanation and was met with an image he would not forget for as long as he lived. Scully's Eyes were shining in a way he had never seen before and she looked for all the world like a child with the greatest of secrets. A child... "You know, don't you?" she said softly. A hundred questions raced through Mulder's mind but he could not express them in any coherent manner. His facial expression must have said it all as Scully smiled and said, "Birds do it, bees do it" Mulder surprised himself when he found his voice, gravelly and weak as it was. "Even educated M.D.'s..." he coughed.   
  
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Please read and review! Yea know I found that when I kill people off I get more reviews... maybe I should kill people off more often... anyways if it's not up yet I also put another chappie up today so be looking for it. Also if you're wondering about the format in this chapter compared to all the others and to all my other stories, yes it's different. My cousin's going to be helping me write this from now on because I was getting into another writers block and I couldn't stand to do that to you again! So I called on my cousin for help. Also I was wondering if anyone knew the name of that song that's played quite a few times throughout without and within... it's actually played in the beginning of them I think...anyway I think it's the only song played in them... and it has words but I can't understand them and anyways I would very much appreciate your help. Thank you. 


	9. You're Having A Blob

Mulder's recovery was slow and painful. His muscles were weakened and his motor functions needed retraining with intensive physiotherapy but all in all he was doing pretty well for a dead man. Doctor McQuade had a hard time explaining the miraculous recovery to his superiors and Mulder became the subject of intense speculation and scientific debate between the hospitals senior consultants. Various theories were put forward but none of them held any water. This was not something that was going to be easily quantified or categorized in any medical journal. Mulder was oblivious to it all. He had more pressing matters on his mind.  
  
He was going to be a father.  
  
By the end of the week Mulder was well enough to come off the drip and on to solid foods. He was sitting up in his bed on a particularly beautiful day when Scully entered his room pushing a wheelchair.  
  
"Your chariot awaits," she beamed. "The doctors say you're well enough to go outside today." Mulder slowly got dressed with Scully's assistance and with some help from a male nurse was eased into the chair and wheeled out in to the sunshine. Scully found a particularly idyllic spot within the gardens at the rear of the hospital.  
  
"I have something for you," said Scully as she pulled a small envelope from her pocket. "My last ultrasound sound." Mulder took the slip of paper from the envelope and traced the image with his finger. "You're having a blob," he said with a straight face. "Can't you see the head?" she indicated as she moved in closer. "There's an arm just....there and I think, no hold on," she flipped the image upside down. "There, can you see it now?" "I see a blob." he repeated without looking away from the image. "Fine, whatever," she said, snatching it back playfully. Mulder smiled broadly but there followed an awkward silence between them. "We still haven't discussed how this was made possible Scully." he said, breaking the silence. "I know, I've thought a lot about that myself," she replied. "Initially I had such a hard time believing it, I wasn't looking for explanations. I was taken aback by how happy I was to be pregnant," she reached over and took Mulder's hand. "With you gone, my thoughts were elsewhere." "And now?" he asked. "And now..." she looked into the distance for a moment and breathed in the fresh air. "As much as it pains me to say this..." "Go on." he prompted. "I think the Smoking Man had something to do with it." Mulder let go of her hand. "What?" "I never told you, but that time I was with him, I woke up in the morning with no recollection of getting into bed. I accused him of drugging me but he said I was so tired and delirious..." she trailed off. "You think he did something to you? Why? Why would he do that?" "He did speak of his loneliness, his regrets. I don't know, maybe this was his way of giving something back." "Undoing a perceived wrong," Mulder added. Scully merely shrugged and again the silence grew between them.  
  
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	10. Building Castles On The Beach

Skinner strolled towards them, a vague smile spread across his face.  
  
"Good to see you out and about," he said as he neared them.  
  
"It's good to be out Sir," Mulder replied.  
  
"The doctors are saying you should be well enough to travel back to  
  
Washington. You can continue your convalescence in Georgetown  
  
Memorial,"  
  
Skinner said as he lowered himself on to the bench.  
  
Mulder groaned. "I just want to go home,"  
  
"One step at a time Agent," Skinner narrowed his eyes in the bright  
  
sun.  
  
"I've  
  
had some rather disturbing news from the Bellefleur Sheriff 's  
  
department.  
  
They've discovered some remains in the woods where you disappeared."  
  
"What type of remains?" Scully asked.  
  
"Charred human bodies, in shallow graves."  
  
"How many?" said Mulder.  
  
"Six so far, they're searching the area for more as we speak."  
  
"Have any of them been identified?" said Scully.  
  
"They've had to rely on dental records. The only one they've got a  
  
match  
  
on so  
  
far is Billy Miles." Mulder and Scully exchanged glances as he  
  
continued.  
  
"It's a  
  
safe bet that the other bodies will turn out to be your fellow  
  
abductees,  
  
it's just a  
  
matter of time."  
  
Mulder gently shook his head in disbelief. "What's the estimated time  
  
of  
  
death?"  
  
"At least 3 weeks, they died about the same time you turned up here,  
  
possibly  
  
burned alive." Mulder rested his head in his hands and Scully placed a  
  
protective  
  
arm around his shoulders. "For whatever reason, you were spared. It  
  
wasn't  
  
Billy Miles that saved you that day..."  
  
"I know," said Mulder. "It was Him. He told me I was different from  
  
the  
  
others, that I had a special purpose."  
  
"The Bounty Hunter?" Scully frowned.  
  
Mulder looked up then, a sudden wave of realization hitting him square  
  
on.  
  
"This child..." he said under his breath, then more emphatically. "This  
  
child is the  
  
special purpose."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Scully couldn't hide the fear in her  
  
voice.  
  
"Just think about it. All that's been done to us over the years..."  
  
he  
  
struggled to  
  
clarify his thoughts. "The tests, our exposure to the alien virus and  
  
the  
  
vaccine.  
  
Don't you see?"  
  
Scully's mind reeled and she was unable to speak.  
  
"On a genetic level..." Skinner began.  
  
"They must have known," Mulder took Scully's hand in his own again  
  
and  
  
gave  
  
her a look only she could interpret. Scully returned the gaze. "That  
  
any  
  
child we  
  
conceived would be unique in its genetic make up."  
  
"How? How would they know?" Scully's tone was angry as she bit back  
  
tears.  
  
"Are you trying to say this is all part of some Master Plan? Like we're  
  
rats  
  
in a  
  
lab?" she instinctively clutched at her stomach.  
  
"Scully don't..."  
  
"Don't what?" she snapped  
  
Skinner shifted awkwardly in his seat. "I think I'll leave you two  
  
alone,"  
  
he said.  
  
"I'll check in with the Sheriffs Department, see what kind of progress  
  
they've made."  
  
He rested a hand on Scully's  
  
shoulder as he stood to leave. "I'll check in on you later."  
  
They both watched him as he walked away and once more a silence fell  
  
between  
  
the two agents.  
  
Skinner spent the rest of the afternoon with the County Coroner, Karen  
  
Bell.  
  
She had the grim task of identifying the blackened remains found in the  
  
woods  
  
and by the time he arrived at the Coroners office she had autopsied  
  
four of  
  
them.  
  
Skinner averted his eyes from the corpses laid out on slabs in the  
  
morgue  
  
but  
  
could not ignore the thick smell of seared flesh that hung in the air.  
  
"Assistant Director Skinner, F.B.I."  
  
"Oh yes, I was expecting you," Doctor Bell said extending her hand.  
  
"I was  
  
hoping you would be able to shed some light on what we're dealing with  
  
here."  
  
"I don't know that I can," he said.  
  
"This is all way outta my league, I never seen anything like it  
  
before,"  
  
she  
  
dabbed at beads of perspiration on her forehead with the back of her  
  
hand.  
  
"I  
  
mean sure, I've seen plenty burn victims in my time, but this..." she  
  
shook  
  
her  
  
head.  
  
"Have you managed to I.D. any more of the bodies?"  
  
"Yeah, two more," she reached for a clipboard on the nearest slab.  
  
"They  
  
were  
  
found together, their hands linked. We've identified them as Deputy  
  
Hosea  
  
and  
  
his wife Theresa," she flipped over a few pages on the chart. "Our  
  
Chief  
  
Medical Examiner made some reference to religious cults and mass  
  
suicides,  
  
would that concur with the F.B.I's findings?"  
  
Skinner suddenly looked uncomfortable.  
  
"Are you okay Mr. Skinner?" she said with genuine concern. "You look  
  
a  
  
little  
  
pale."  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little nauseous, I think it must be the smell  
  
in  
  
here.  
  
Would you excuse me for a moment?"  
  
"Of course, I'm sorry. I guess I've gotten used to it. Please," she  
  
gestured to the  
  
back door. "Get yourself some fresh air."  
  
Skinner was glad of the opportunity to escape outside. The nausea was  
  
an  
  
excuse though it was certainly a valid one. He couldn't begin to offer  
  
up an  
  
explanation to the Coroner. If Mulder were here he'd have no problem  
  
but  
  
then  
  
he had nothing to lose, it was expected of him. Skinner however was a  
  
different  
  
man. If they wanted to believe that this was a ritual mass suicide then  
  
he  
  
wasn't  
  
about to correct them. It would be futile to try and convince them  
  
otherwise.  
  
Mulder received the news he had been waiting for the following Monday  
  
morning. He was being allowed home. There were conditions of course, he  
  
would have to spend at least a week in Georgetown Memorial and the  
  
physio  
  
sessions were likely to continue for six weeks after that. Scully had  
  
been  
  
spending less time with him during the day and despite his  
  
protestations  
  
decided  
  
that she could be of use to the Sheriff's department and the Coroner.  
  
The  
  
night  
  
before he was due to be transferred back to D.C. she arrived back at  
  
the  
  
hospital  
  
looking exhausted and haunted having spent the entire day at the  
  
morgue.  
  
"Hey Mommy," Mulder said brightly as she walked in.  
  
"Urrghh," was the only response she could muster as she eased herself  
  
in  
  
to the  
  
chair.  
  
"You're overdoing it Scully,"  
  
"Sometimes I forget I'm pregnant but on days like this..." she kicked  
  
off  
  
her  
  
shoes. "My body won't let me forget!"  
  
"Come here," Mulder pulled over another chair and sat down opposite  
  
lifting  
  
her feet into his lap. "Can I get you some ice cream and pickles, some  
  
Saltines  
  
perhaps?"  
  
"A nice hot bath would suffice right now," she yawned and stretched,  
  
settling  
  
back to enjoy the welcome foot rub.  
  
She was sinking into bliss when Mulder said. "Come on, it's late."  
  
A makeshift cot had been set up for her by the nurses but it hadn't  
  
been  
  
used in  
  
recent nights. They both undressed and settled into Mulder's bed.  
  
Mulder  
  
rested  
  
his head on Scully's ever expanding abdomen.  
  
"I think I was just kicked," he looked up at her and smiled. Scully  
  
giggled and  
  
ruffled his hair. "I've taught him well."  
  
"Him?" he raised his eyebrows in surprise.  
  
"I don't know, I can't explain it. I just get the feeling it's a  
  
boy."  
  
Mulder nodded and laid his head back down. He smiled contentedly as  
  
images  
  
of  
  
his future son played in his mind. Sounds of seabirds and waves  
  
crashing on  
  
the  
  
shore... a little boy and his father building sand castles on the  
  
beach... 


End file.
